Thursday, November 24, 2005

Across

1 New name for Mr. Lee (5) - ELMER6 Avoids the jumps (5) - SKIPS9 In an Irish county, an artist has a mobile home (7) - CARAVAN10 Slightly less clever, but easy to enjoy (5) - LIGHT11 Someone to coddle (5) - MOLLY12 You'll admit the town centre has everything (5) - ALLOW13 Rather elderly for such speed (7) - SEVENTY15 It's of great value in management (3) - GEM17 Poke softly with a stick (4) - PROD18 A paint surface (6) - PATINA19 Look disdainfully both ways, always? (5) - SNEER20 Possibility of a companion getting the cane, maybe? (6) - CHANCE22 For this penetrating word, I trust to love! (4) - INTO24 Fish in the Elbe (3) - EEL25 One apt to swoon, being weaker? (7) - FAINTER26 A little collection of alms - a bit of help (5) - SMALL27 Teasingly long piece? (5) - STRIP28 Girl to see in the part of a lady? (5) - CINDY29 A refreshing place (7) - TEAROOM30 Creature unable to multiply? (5) - ADDER31 Find how to make finance work profitably (5) - LEARN

Down

2 Take your time with it in a new role! (6) - LOITER3 Sounded unoriginal (6) - ECHOED4 One doing the dirty out of wrath? (3) - RAT5 Ray's holding the money again, we gather (5) - RALLY6 It needn't contain Russian tea (7) - SAMOVAR (Thanks Tolstoy!)7 As you realise, it sounds discouraging (4) - KNOW8 Flower fertiliser (6) - POLLEN12 A note shiftily to make up (5) - ATONE13 An additive used in hospices (5) - SPICE14 Like a number of singers (5) - VOCAL15 Big Joe, a six-footer (5) - GIANT16 Police district or man, maybe (5) - MANOR18 Breaking a plate is a bit of a bloomer (5) - PETAL19 Hurry to spread a stupid scare about a politician (7) - SCAMPER21 He has a name for getting angry (6) - HEATED22 Eventually be punctual (2,4) - IN TIME23 Can be rented - by a nurse? (6) - TENDER25 Generally she's not beastly! (5) - FLORA26 Something to work on constructively (4) - SITE28 Pass for an officer (3) - COL

First time ever that I've completed a cryptic crossword. Deccan Herald, easier than most other papers, but what the hell! I'm so proud of myself!

when you remove the first and the last two letters from slightly, i.e. sly, you're left with light

light - easy to enjoy

the second one, i couldn't have got without the connecting words. i got all the letters except for the 't' from other words. only then i realised it was an anagram of 'a paint'. but there is no anagram indicator.. not a very good clue.